Outgoing Iranian Foreign Claims U.S. Willing to Lift Sanctions

Outgoing Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote to Iran’s parliament that President Joe Biden’s administration is willing to forgo most of the U.S. sanctions on Iran in exchange for a mutually-agreed upon return to the 2015 nuclear deal.

A State Department spokesperson told Axios that Zarif’s claims have been pushed by the Iranian representatives during the nuclear negotiations in Vienna, but talks are ongoing and “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

Iran would have to allow stricter UN nuclear inspections, redesign the Arak Heavy Water Reactor, limit enrichment to 3.67%, put its more sophisticated centrifuges into storage, and turn over more than 300 kg of uranium enriched beyond that level.

Iran would be able to continue with research with its more advanced centrifuges.

“Iran has proved it can revive its nuclear program very quickly if it needs to, sometimes even in less than a day,” Zarif wrote.

According to Zarif’s report, Biden is prepared to remove the terror designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and sanctions against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with sanctions on more than 1,000 Iranians and Iranian companies.

Some sanctions would remain on certain banks and metal and shipping companies.

The U.S. would not lift non-nuclear sanctions on terrorism, ballistic missiles development and human rights violations. Earlier today, the FBI announced they had foiled a plot by Iranian agents to kidnap a prominent human rights activist and Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad. Alinejad posted videos of the view from her apartment, which had FBI agents outside, guarding her and her family.

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smarcus@hamodia.com